Aerial photography basically relates to the art and science of photographing objects from an elevated position.
Aerial photography is a useful tool in photographing objects or terrain from an elevated position and has been used by engineers and scientists to map out particular regions as well as being used by artists to photograph objects such as homes or the like.
Furthermore aerial viewing devices such as video cameras, or television cameras have also been elevated in an effort to record action shots for television production services as well as being used for search missions in the event when a person has become lost in a forest, wilderness or the like.
Such aerial viewing devices or aerial cameras have been mounted or suspended from airplanes in order to accomplish the desired result. However, such airplanes travel at a relatively fast speed and are subject to the vibrational forces so that it becomes difficult to photograph a suitable picture or to display onto a video camera display unit a suitable image having high resolution qualities.
Various devices have been constructed, and various methods have been employed in order to improve the resolution of images displayed or photographs taken from aerial devices.
For example U.S. Pat. No. 359,902 discloses an aerial photographic apparatus suspended from a balloon.
Moreover U.S. Pat. No. 367,610 discloses apparatus for aerial photography from a high altitude without the necessity of the presence of an operator.
Yet other devices are disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 510,759 relating to aerial cameras.
U.S. Pat. No. 578,980 shows the use of devices designed to be secured to a kite string to support one or more photographic cameras whereby negatives of the surroundings may be taken at a great altitude.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 1,528,933 relates to a kite adapted to support an aerial camera.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,638,502 illustrates a stabilized camera mount for compensating erratic movements of vehicles.
These and other prior art devices present relatively complicated structures and are difficult and expensive to use for viewing terrain from an elevated position as well as difficult and expensive to use to photograph terrain from an aerial camera.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved aerial viewing device and particularly to disclose an improved aerial camera for photographing the desired view or terrain.
The broadest aspect of this invention relates to an aerial viewing device including; a video camera; structure for elevating said video camera relative ground level; structure for suspending said video camera from said elevated device; first self-leveling structure for leveling said video camera in a first direction; second self-leveling structure for leveling said video camera in a second direction; first drive structure for rotating said video camera to control the image scanned by said video camera along a first axis; second drive structure for rotating said video camera to control the image scanned by said video camera along a second axis; a tether attached at one end to said elevating structure for holding said elevating structure and said video camera in said elevating position, said tether including an electrical conductor; and electrical control structure attached at another end of said tether for controlling said first and second drive structure so as to control the image scanned by said video camera, said control structure further including a video display so as to display said image scanned by said video camera.
It is another aspect of this invention to provide an aerial camera including; a helium balloon; a gimbal frame suspended from said balloon; a camera mounting structure suspended from said gimbal frame; a still camera carried by said camera mounting structure; a video camera carried by said camera mounting structure; said gimbal frame including, first self-leveling structure for leveling said camera mounting in a first horizontal position, second self-leveling structure for leveling said camera mounting structure in a second horizontal position; first drive structure carried by said gimbal frame for rotating said camera mounting structure and said still camera and for rotationally controlling the image scanned by said video camera along a vertical axis; second drive structure associated with said camera mounting structure for rotating said camera structure, said still camera, and for rotationally controlling the image scanned by said video camera along a horizontal axis; a tether attached at one end to said helium balloon for holding said helium balloon in said elevated position, said tether including electrical conductors; and electrical control structure attached at said other end of tether for controlling said first and second drive structure so as to control the image scanned by said video camera, said control structure including, a video display for displaying said image scanned by said video camera, and a shutter activating structure to activate said still camera when said video display displays a desired view from said video camera.
Yet another aspect of this invention relates to an aerial camera including; a helium balloon; a gimbal frame suspended from said balloon; a first pair of gimbal wires depending from said gimbal frame; a first motor housing presenting first apertures adapted to receive said first pair of gimbal wires for relative slidable movement therebetween, said first motor housing presenting first nylon slip bearings pivotally connected adjacent each set aperture for relative slidable movement therebetween so as to self-level said first motor housing in a first horizontal direction; a camera mounting structure; first drive structure carried by said first motor housing; structure for connecting said camera mounting structure to said first drive structure so as to rotate said camera mounting structure along a vertical axis when driven by said first drive structure; said connecting structure including a pair of second gimbal wires; second nylon slip bearings pivotally connected to said camera mounting structure and adapted to slidably receive said second pair of gimbal wires for relative slidable movement there between so as to self-level said camera mounting structure in a second horizontal position; a still camera connected to said camera mounting structure; a video camera mounted to said camera mounting structure; second drive housing associated with said camera mounting structure for rotating said still camera and said video camera along a horizontal axis; a tether attached at one end to said helium balloon for holding said helium balloon in an elevated position, said tether including electrical conductors; and electrical control structure attached at said other end of said tether for controlling said first and second drive structure so as to control the image scanned by said video camera, said control structure including, a video display for displaying said image scanned by said video camera, and a shutter activating structure to activate the still camera when said video display displays a desired view from said video camera.
Finally, it is another aspect of this invention to provide a self-leveling device for suspending an aerial camera including, a gimbal frame adapted to be attached to an elevating device; a first pair of gimbal wires depending from said gimbal frame; a first housing presenting first apertures adapted to receive said first pair of gimbal wires for relative slidable movement there between, first nylon slipped bearings to be connected adjacent each said apertures and adapted to receive said first pair of gimbal wires for relative slidable movement there between so as to self-level said first housing in a first horizontal direction; a camera mounting structure for mounting said aerial camera; a connector for connecting said camera mounting structure to said first housing; a second pair of gimbal wires depending from said connector; second nylon slipped bearings pivotally connected to said camera mounting structure and adapted to slidably receive second pair of gimbal wires for relative slidable movement therebetween so as to self-level said camera mounting structure in a second horizontal position.
These and other objects and features shall now be described in relation to the following drawings: